Tesla‘s Cybertruck is once again under fire, this time for a potentially life-threatening malfunction that causes the car to accelerate to top speeds.
Elai, a Cybertruck owner in Texas, called the vehicle a ‘deathtrap’ in a TikTok video where he claimed that the pedal cover slid off the accelerator and became snagged on the carpet while he was driving, locking it in place and spurring the car to speed to 100 percent.
The owner is now warning that if someone had not stayed calm in that situation, the repercussions could be dangerous.
A Tesla Cybertruck owner complained that the pedal cover for his accelerator slid off while he was driving his vehicle (pictured), pushing the speed to 100 percent
The owner showed the pedal cover had completely detached and said it was fortunate he remained calm and held down the brake which overrode the accelerator
The pedal cover was wedged under a piece of fabric that was part of the vehicle’s floorboard, making it impossible to the driver to release it until he was able to stop the Cybertruck
Tesla has issued a stop-sell for the Cybertruck, leaving many buyers disgruntled that they have to wait for their $90,000 vehicle.
The company has halted all deliveries for seven days while it deals with an ‘issue with the accelerator pedal,’ according to an X post by Tesla influencer Whole Mars Catalog.
Elai described the terrifying event in the video, saying: ‘A couple days ago I’m driving and [the pedal cover] slid up and wedged itself.
‘Based on the design of the floorboard, with this sliding up, it held the accelerator down 100 percent, full throttle.’
He realized that by holding the brake down all the way, it would override the pedal, but each time he lifted his foot off the brake, the car would accelerate again.
‘So I stopped the car, put it in park, and got out. At first, I thought the pedal was broken, but nope. I realized that this was wedged down here,’ he said, showing a piece of fabric that juts out just behind the accelerator.
Although Elai remained calm and took immediate action to stop the car, he said: ‘For someone that panics, this could be very dangerous.’
Tesla has issued a stop-sale for its Cybertrucks and isn’t delivering the vehicle for seven days while it fixes the accelerator issues
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has not yet issued a recall on Tesla’s 2024 Cybertruck and did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Tesla has received additional criticism for its Cybertruck in recent months, with owners complaining that it developed rust spots after driving it in the rain.
Other complaints include a Cybertruck dying just four days after it was purchased, a faulty steer-by-wire system which has led to brake-downs and malfunctioning brakes.
The new Cybertruck malfunction comes as the EV-maker announced it was laying off more than 10 percent of its workforce, with owner Elon Musk blaming it on the company’s rapid growth which resulted in duplicate job roles and functions.
‘As we prepare the company for our next phase of growth, it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity,’ Musk wrote in a now-leaked internal email.
‘There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done,’ he wrote, adding: ‘This will enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth cycle.’
This is perhaps unsurprising after Tesla’s earnings call earlier this year that projected sales would slow down in 2024 because the company was ‘between two major growth waves.’
In the wake of the layoffs, the company’s stocks dropped by 1.3 percent on Monday, adding to the 31 percent drop since this time last year.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Tesla for comment.
